A DISASTER scenario was presented to pupils in an event designed to test their creativity.

Organised by Basingstoke Loddon Rotary and held at Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT) on Thursday last week, the Technology Tournament challenged 21 teams from seven schools and colleges in the area.

The pupils were presented with the scenario that a train carrying hazardous chemicals had derailed.

The challenge the teams were presented with was that they each had to build and test a crane to safely remove the hazardous materials at a safe distance.

The teams, made up of pupils from Year 7 to Year 13, were presented with an assortment of raw materials.

They were marked on the way that they interpreted the brief, organised the build, their teamwork and then how well the crane functioned.

There were winners in three different categories. The foundation category was won by Amery Hill School, the intermediate by Sherfield School and Queen Mary’s College was the winner of the advanced category.

Rotarian Chris Flemming said: “This is the 11th year Basingstoke Loddon Rotary has organised this event and every year it gets better and better. There is real design and technology talent in our local schools and I am sure some of those taking part today will go on to forge successful careers in engineering.”